Plastic bag package

ABSTRACT

A BOX HAVING A REMOVBLE WALL PORTION PROVIDING AN ACCESS SLOT CONTAINS PAPER OR PLASTIC ARTICLES WOUND UPON A BRIDGE MEMBER FORMED FROM A CARDBOARD STRIP WHICH HAS ITS END WIDER THAN ITS INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND FOLDED TO BE ABUTMENTS AND DISPOSED VERTICALLY IN SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT WITH THE ENDS OF THE BOX. SANDWICH BAGS EXEMPLIFYING THE ARTICLES PACKAGED HAVE BOTH ENDS IN THE LOWER PART OF THE BOX, ONLY THEIR INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS LYING ABOVE THE BRIDGE MEMBER, THE LATER BEING ABOUT ONE-HALF SO FAR FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX AS FROM ITS BOTTOM.

Sept 20 1971 J. E. LYNCH Erm.

PLASTIC BAG PCKGE Filed Jan. 29. 1970 ATT 0 CII-.Yf

4 f u man .v f@ IY( 12 .im u. ym w i mq e il# 27m. d 2 Z vim,... W @i 2 3,606,080 PLASTIC BAG PACKAGE John E. Lynch, Oshkosh, and Anton Zeller, Neenah, Wis., assignors to Presto Products Inc., Appleton, Wis. Filed Jan. 29, 1970, Ser. No. 6,835

Int. Cl. B65h 1 04 U.S. Cl. 221-63 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A box having a removable wall portion providing an access slot contains paper or plastic articles wound upon a bridge member formed from a cardboard strip which has its ends wider than its intermediate portion and folded to be abutments and disposed vertically in substantial contact with the ends of the box. Sandwich bags exemplifying the articles packaged have both ends in the lower part of the box, only their intermediate portions lying above the bridge member, the latter being about one-half so far from the top of the box as from its bottom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As compared with previous packages of paper or plastic articles, the instant device makes unusually effective use of the form of the box, the resulting package being compact and the articles being supported on a bridge member, the cost of which is low as compared with the supports used in other packages. There also are advantages in the facility with which the packaged articles may be withdrawn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A single strip of cardboard is die cut to dene a horizontal bridge member and upright abutment members folded to be normal to the bridge member, the cardboard being scored to detine the lines of fold. The resulting location of the bridge member is preferably horizontal in a plane at about two-thirds of the height of the box. Because the abutment members at the ends of the cardboard strip are substantially coextensive with the interior cross-section of the box and are held by the bridge member against the ends of the box, these members are securely fixed against displacement. Most of the article weight is actually imposed on the abutments, which, by reason of the cooperative action of the bridge member and the box, provide a secure support for articles of paper or plastic which are packaged in and dispensed from the box.

The box is largely conventional. The top, front and back are perforated to define a removable portion to provide an access slot, a portion of which extends longitudinally of the box top to pass the articles. Other portions to receive the users fingers extend onto the back and front walls.

The location of the bridge member is chosen to accommodate twice as much article thickness beneath it as above it, the dimensions of the box being such that one end of each article lies immediately beneath the bridge member and its other end underlies the end first mentioned.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a package embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged view in cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective showing a cardboard insert which provides the bridge member and its abutments.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view partially in side elevation and partically in cross-section on the line 4 4 of FIG. l, parts being broken away.

United States Patent O p ICC FIG. 5 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the blank used in making the cardboard bridge insert shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing the blank used in making a typical box which receives the bridge insert and the goods to be packaged.

FIG. 7 is a view on a reduced scale showing the box and inserted bridge member in cross-section, showing of the packaged articles being omitted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The box portion 8 of the package may be made of blank such as that shown in FIG. 6. Panels foldably connected side by side include a top panel 10, front and rear panels 12 and 14 and a bottom panel 16. One panel at the end of the series is provided with glue flap 18 and the ends of all panels are conventionally provided with end closure aps 20. Perforations at 22 outline a tear strip 24 elongated longitudinally of the top panel 10 and having arms 26 and 28 extending onto front and rear panels 12 and 14. Upon removal, the tear strip leaves a dispensing slot 30 and communicating finger openings 32 and 34 (FIGS. l and 2).

Placed within the box 8 is a bridge member 40 having locating and work-supporting abutments 42 and 44 (FIG. 3). These parts may be made in one piece from the blank shown in FIG. 5. A single piece of cardboard forms Ibridge member `40, the ends of which are defined by die cuts 46 and by transverse score lines 48 connecting the die cuts and disposed on the respective abutments at about twothirds of the height thereof. As shown in FIG. 7, the dimensions of the bridge member and its abutments are so related to those of the box that the abutments approximately equal the internal cross-section of the box (and the internal area of the end walls) and are held by the bridge member 40 in substantial engagement with the end Walls 50 and 52 as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4.

The corners 53 of the abutments extend for substantially the full height of the box ends, and are securely positioned thereby notwithstanding that the bridge member 40 is located by the slots 46 and score lines 48 at a lower level.

The articles to be dispensed are wound around the bridge member and fit between the opposite end abutments. Box and bridge member dimensions are so chosen that the center third 54 of the pack of articles lies on the bridge member 40 between it and the box cover 10 (FIG. 2). The one-third 56 which represents one of the terminal ends of the articles lies immediately beneath bridge member 40. The one-third, 58, which comprises the other ends of the articles lies along the box bottom 16.

When the slots 30, 32, 34 are opened, the user can readily grasp the top exposed article by inserting his fingers through slots 32, 34, then withdrawing the article through dispensing slot 30. This will expose another article for similar withdrawal.

It will be noted that the bridge member can be made of very light stock, since the weight of the articles is sustained in part by contact of the pack with the box bottom and in part by the upright abutments 42, `44, which, being upright and held against the box ends, have little or no tendency to buckle.

While the package has been designed particularly for merchandising and dispensing transparent plastic sandwich bags, it may also be used for other packs of thin articles of plastic or paper.

We claim:

1. A package of plastic bags comprising a box having a top and bottom and ends, a bridge member comprising a strip of flat stock extending from end to end interiorly of the box in a position materially closer to the top than to the bottom, integral portions of the material of such strip being defined by transverse fold lines and extending down parallel and adjacent to the box ends as abutments having their bottom margins engaged with the box bottom and supporting the bridge member in said position, and a pack of bags having both ends beneath the bridge member and intermediate portions spanning the bridge member, corresponding ends of the bags of the pack resting on the box bottom and opposite corresponding ends rest-x ing on the first-mentioned ends beneath the bridge member.

2. A package according to claim 1 in which the bridge member abutments substantially iit the end portions of the box interior, having corner portions extending above the bridge member toward the box top, the bridge member being narrower than the abutments and said told line extending between said corner portions.

3. For packaging thin flexible articles, the combination of a box having bottom, side and end walls, a :bridge member comprising a at strip extending longitudinally of the box and upon which such articles may be Wound, said strip having transverse fold lines defining integral abutments in Vertical planes at right angles to said strip and materially Wider than said longitudinally extending strip and substantially fitting the interior cross-section of the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,395,830 -8/1968 Buttery 221-63 3,482,734 12/ 1969 Mierson 221--63 3,346,141 10/1967 Pherson et al. 221-48 3,144,961 8/1964 Phenner 22148 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner F. I. BARTUSKA, Assistant Examiner 

